Safety-brake and lock-switch mechanism for electric automobiles.



. 0. P. PRITGHLE. SAFETY BRAKE AND LOCK SWITCH MECHANISM r012 ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.27, 1909.

Patented Oct. 18,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

O. P. FRITGHLB. I I AFETY BRAKE AND LOCK SWITCH MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC AU TOMOBI' s.

APPLIOA'PION. FILED DEC.27, 1 909.

Patented 0ct. 18,1910.

m 54 {Jam/u;

2 BKEFJ8-SHEET 2 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' OLIVER FRITCHLE, OF DENVER, COLORADO, .ASSIGNOR TO THE FRITCHLE' AUTO- MOBILE AND BATTERY COMPANY, OF DENVER, QOLORA IDO, A CORPORATION OF I cor-enema.

f SAFETY-BRAKE AND LOCK-SWITCH MECHANISM FOR ELECTRIC AUTOMOBILES.

, To all whom it may concern:

' -Be it known that/I, ()mvnn P. FRITCHLE,

a cit-izenef the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State,

of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safe y-Brakeand Lock'Switch Mechanism for Electric Auto- 'mobiles,'of which the following is a speci- My invention relates to a device for break- 1 "ing the circuit when theorake-mechanism is set on an electric automobile.

Fig. 2 is a. sectional elevation; Fig.

The-device is intended for use with c on- 'tro'llersi of the kind shown in my application Ser. No. 435,605, filed May 29, i908, and adds an additional safeguard to the automatic switch-locking devices there shown.

j Referring to the drawings :-Fig.ire l is a erspeetiveview of the device as a whole;

is a perspective View, showing the arrangement of the texts with relation to the seat of the anteint bile; :ind Fi at is a, detail perspec- 1 22. This'switch-levr-r has a pin73 tends to rotate the shaft 16 and hook T2 to-- ,is operated by means tiv-s. view of the loo ring mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 11, the brake mechanism of a footiece l, on

the top of n lever i, pivoted at its bottom. A rod 3 connects lever i? with an arm 4, secnre-ltothe shaft 5 which carries an arm 6,

" towhichihe brake rod, (not shown) is connected. '1' is a toothed sector also secured to the shaft 5.

8 is a pawl )ivoted on a block 9, which forms one of t 9 supports for the shaft To the, outer end of the pawl is pivotally connected a rod 10, arranged to slide in guidesvll. A spring 12 is mounted between the lower guide 11 and :1 lug 13, and tends to keen the rod normally raised. At the top 1 of theirod is a handle 14 having an arm lfiyleterully projecting over the switch-lever which in the lowermost position of the switch-lever 22 can he engaged by ahook 79, on a shaft 16, mounted on and projecting from the base-board Act the controller. A spring 18 ward its positionof engagement with .pin

. Specification of Letters l'a ten't. Patented Oct, 18, 1910, Application flledJJccember 27, 1993 i I Serial No. 534,972.

engaged by the rod 75 projecting through an opening in the normally rigidly held arm (it). The rod 7 5 is carried by an arm 41 pivoted to the arm 69, the two arms being normally separated by a strong spring 42 which holds the arm 4 against the back stop 74. This mechanism is shown in detail in my application, Ser. No. 435,605,:1bove referred to, as are the controller handle I! and attached parts comprising aha-r G carry ing the contact blade which engages a series of contact fingers 17, a rod 1 connected to the bar G, and sliding bar 40, mounted in a guide 55. The end of this bar engages the bar 41, when the controller handle is swung over, and causes the rod 75 to move-the arm 71 and shaft 16 to disengage the hook 72 from the pin '73. "In Fig. 4., I

lock C; whose bolt D. holds the switch arm 22 down to prevent the closin of the switch.

The switch-arm '22, the blilKE settin arm or handle ll and the combinationloc are preferably arrungec'l as shown in Fig. 3, near the middle portion of the seat, the controller handle being located at one side of the seat, and the hrake-operating foot-piece in the door.

In 0 )eration of the device, the brake can be app ied b a. forward movement of the leverfl. A dhwnward movement of the'rcd 19 by means of handle 14 will then set the brake by means of engagement of pawl 8 with sector 7. In'this downward movement of the rod 10, the arm engages the switch arm and opens the switch 22, thus-cutting oil the current and setting the brake by a single movement; In this position; the switch-arm is also locked down by the hook 72, so that the current cannot again be turnedon until thebrnke-setting rod has been released, and the controller returned to the olf'position. The combination-look also locks the switch lever, so that provision is made not only against unauthorized use of the machine, but alsoagninst possible carelessness of the operator, who cannot turn on currentas long as the brakes are set, and even if he releases the brake-setting device, cnnnot close the main-switch until the controller has been returned .to the no-current position. Y

It will be noted that this brake-sett ng de vice does not interfere with the ordinary haveshown n combination use of the brake, while the current is on, but

only when it is desired to set the hrakes, as for anemergency' stop, or when it 1s desired to hold the machine still, as when stoppeda on a down grade.

I' claim *1. The combination with a switch-arm of I a brakc-settin device and a controller mechanism, each %1 lVlIlg a. part engaging the switch-arm to hold it in open position.

2. The combination with switch-arm of a brake-setting device and a controller mechanism and a rock, each havin a part. en-

7 gaging the switch-arm to hold itin open position. 7

The combination of a switch-arm, and a brake-setting device comprising an operating rod having an arm to hold'the switcharm open when the brake is set, and arranged to be disengaged therefrom when the bruke'iircleased. '4. 'theicbmbination of a switch-arm, and

a brake-setting device comprising an operat-ing rod having an arm to hold the switcharm open when the brake 15 set, a controllermechanlsm comprising a handle and having a holding device to engave the switch-arm and mechanism connected to the controller handle for disengaging such holding device.

5. A safety device for electric automobiles, comprising a switclrarm, a. sprin -pressed hook engaging the arm, a controller-mechanism having .1 handle and connections therefor to disengage the hook when the controller is in ofi' position, a brake setting device, an operating rod therefor, and an arm connected to said rod to operate the switch-arm to open the switch.

In testimony whereof, I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses. A

OLIVERP. FRITCHLE.

Witnesses:

J. R. REED, V v M. A.'ELLIs.

as I 

